Holiday season is among us and so is your urge to try out all the delicious treats it brings with it. In case you are worried about deciding what to try from UBC’s wide assortment of snacks, The Ubyssey has got your back. I traveled across campus, trying out all the festive treats it has to offer.
Here's all you need to know about the good, the bad and the ugly holiday-themed snacks edition.
Gingerbread People Cookies at Blue Chip ($4.00)
Blue Chip Chrismasiffied its cookie game by offering gingerbread people cookies this year. Apart from the slight out-of-body experience I had while not defaulting to my usual order of a Marbelous or Chunky cookie, there was nothing minutely revolting about the experience of eating this Christmas delight.
The ginger flavour was not too strong, making it the perfect melt-in-mouth treat. The price is a deterrent though, so unless you are feeling particularly generous — even a good-looking gingerbread person is not worth a (blue) chip-sized hole in your pocket! 7/10.
Candy Cane Hot Chocolate at Tim Hortons ($3.15 for a medium)
Who doesn’t love a good cup of hot chocolate during the bitter cold month of December? When that hot chocolate is flavoured with everyone’s favourite holiday treat, a candy cane, there isn’t much else we can ask for (apart from perhaps shorter lines at Tim Hortons).
I know Starbucks has fancier drinks and fancier cups, but try avoiding going broke for yet another month and stick with the Canadian gold standard instead. This holiday-themed drink can be your refuge from the rain, snow, wind or whatever Earth-shattering, mind-altering calamity is raging over our beloved Vancouver. Treat yourself to 15 minutes of blissful ignorance — you pulled through that last assignment, you deserve it! 7/10.
Gingerbread Chocolate Dream Donut at Tim Hortons ($2.29)
A1 for presentation, but apart from looking festive, this donut does not have much else going for it. It tasted like just another regular donut. The flavour of the gingerbread cookie on top of the donut was too strong for my liking. But, if a (w)holesome-looking donut is what you search for while grinding for your finals at IKB, then this is for you. If you're craving something that tastes Christmassy, I would recommend not dreaming about this treat. 6/10.
Filled Sugar Cookie at Tim Hortons ($1.59)
A sugar cookie is a holiday staple. Unfortunately, this Tim Hortons cookie did not fully commit itself to the winter vibes by being bare of icing — a grave mistake. The sugar on top of it made it slightly hard to chew. While it tasted alright, it wasn’t particularly great. Yet, its price is affordable compared to the other cookie on this list. 5/10.
Sugar Cookie Oat Latte at Starbucks ($5.95 for a grande)
If you happen to be vegan and are feeling left out while your friends binge on all the holiday-themed snacks they can get their hands-on, Starbucks has got you covered! The new Sugar Cookie Oat Latte tastes exactly like a gingerbread cookie and I couldn’t get enough of it. It is made with sugar cookie-flavored syrup, combined with blonde espresso and steamed oat milk and topped with red and green sprinkles. It is available as both a hot and cold drink so chug your exam blues away! 9/10.
Caramel Brulée Latte at Starbucks ($5.95 for a grande)
Caramel is an underrated flavour — chocolate gets all the glory. Not this time: the Caramel Brulée Latte is sure to be crowned the drink of the season. The drink is perhaps too sweet if you top it off with whipped cream. You might even go into a sugar coma so deep that even the lovely Starbucks servers butchering your name for the 100th time won’t be enough to wake you up. 8/10.
Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks ($5.95 for a grande)
First of all, let us get a couple of things out of the way. Yes, I like the mint chocolate chip ice cream. No, I don’t think it tastes like toothpaste. I like to think that the minty flavour that the mint chocolate chip ice cream and peppermint mocha have in common is an acquired taste, like matcha, no scratch that — matcha sucks.
The drink is a refreshing departure from all the overly sweet drinks one gets during the festive season. This minty drink even has the power to wake you up, without being too heavy on caffeine. So if you are getting concerned about the number of straight espresso shots (hold the milk) you have been downing daily, this drink is a good holiday-themed- replacement! 8/10.